Pages

Book Discussion: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Week 11)

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Welcome to the A Darker Shade of Magic book discussion! We are going to have a blast reading along together. Each week, following the schedule, my friend Jackie and I will recap that particular week’s chapters with hilarious commentary. At the end of each discussion post, there will be a few questions to get the party started. These questions serve as food for thought. All comments related to the book and this week’s chapters are always welcome! Remember: I am giving away a copy of the paperback edition of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (for extra entries, comment below)! Now, let’s get this party started!

This week, we'll be discussing Part 11, Chapter 5 and Part 12, Chapter 1 to 4. To depict our thoughts in the most coherent way possible (after all, this is a dialogue between friends), my font color will stay black and Jackie's color will be red.

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers ahead! This post discusses this week’s chapters of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. If you do not want to be spoiled on what happens in the book, don’t read any further.

Part 11: Chapter 5

Jeanna: Schwab continues right where we left off with Astrid flinging the enchanted compulsion necklace across the room, while also stabbing Rhy in the chest. Astrid has left the building everyone. Well, she left Rhy’s body at least. Utter chaos is unleashed as Kell jumps towards Rhy to heal him, Lila jumping out of the way of the necklace, and the guard in the way of the necklace. With that, the guard is now Astrid and starts to fight Kell. Kell is able to push him out the window, where he falls to his death. Lila is on Rhy duty. And it’s not looking good, he’s lost a lot of blood. Kell notes that when the guard with the necklace lands in the courtyard below, one of the guests from the party is drawn to the necklace. My, Astrid is going to destroy Red London.

And what was that guest’s issue? She just saw a palace guard die and the first thing she does is starts stealing his possessions. Like, what?

Rhy has lost a lot of blood but he seems to know exactly what has happened, or at least a gist of it as he immediately begins apologizing. Kell, Lila, and Rhy escape the palace through a portal to sanctuary.

Jackie: Yeah, they need to get rid of the necklace ASAP. This thing is bad news.

I mean, imagine for a second being controlled, unwillingly, by Astrid. Doing the utmost terrible things and having no choice to stop, as well as probably a botched memory over what your physical body and actions had done. That’s seriously messed up, at least it’s not permanent as long as the necklace comes off of the wearer.

Yeah, I thought it was something when person after person started wearing the necklace, Like I mean HELLO, did you not see what happened to the other person because they were wearing it, I mean the guard was pushed out a window to their death!

How can that not raise a red flag before you start stealing their possessions and wearing them?!

I thought Rhy apologizing to Kell was a funny dialogue in the sense that Rhy is apologizing like crazy to Kell, not really concerned about his own health at the moment, and then Kell is just like “Shut up Rhy.” The back and forth makes sense between the both of them and you can see based on their actions that this has happened before between the both of them, and they have had to adapt to the situation in a similar way. They are some duo.

Jeanna: Being controlled by Astrid would be absolutely horrifying. And the worst would be being controlled by Astrid just before you died. That poor guard who fell to his death, that was terrible. His thoughts, his actions, nothing was his and he was paying the price for it.

Since Red London is the most stable of the magical Londons, you’d think that most wouldn’t be swept by the necklace’s power as easily as they were. And the worst part is that now Astrid is wreaking havoc both inside the palace and on its grounds. She’s almost as bad as that zombie infestation that NO ONE has noticed yet.

Their dialogue here was hilarious; I agree. Kell tells him to shut up but then he demands Rhy to stay attentive. The best course of action here is to keep Rhy talking. Yet, Kell has him focus on his own voice instead which for the amount of blood Rhy has already lost, I would think it quite easy to lose focus on anyone’s voice.

Jackie: Yeah, being controlled by Astrid before death would be about the worst ways to go as far as I’m concerned. That’s interesting too that you note that nothing was the guards as he fell to his death, which is true since Astrid is still in control. That would be something to be able to manipulate other from such a far distance, and not even have to deal with the pain or consequences of and from that person’s death.

Yeah, I can’t believe that no one has noticed the zombie thing going on in Red London, and now we have Astrid able to wield control over anyone who wears the necklace. Like, hello is everyone in Red London blind or something? I also wonder, as you posed, how much resistance, if any measurable amount, would be needed to not fall to the will of Astrid? I mean this would probably have to be a great amount since Astrid is pretty powerful as it stands now.

Yeah, our poor Rhy.

The best thing to do, as you said, is to keep him talking and focused on some central person, voice, or conversation, so he does not pass out on Kell and Lila.

Pull through for us Rhy!

Jeanna: Well, this whole compulsion thing is very interesting and the more we delve into what Schwab has shown us, the more I wonder about the workings of the actual magic behind this. The necklace was, in fact, still on the guard when he died. Would this mean that the guard didn’t actually feel the grip of death? I was thinking that the reason Astrid threw the necklace right before she plunged the knife into Rhy’s chest is because, if under compulsion, she would bear the pain of it. Otherwise, to make sure her plan was perfectly enacted, she probably would have stayed with Rhy until he died. Maybe. So, I’m just wondering if Astrid felt the pain when the guard died and how strong she must be to endure this spell for as long as it has been going on, and for multiple wearers.

Part 12: Chapter 1

Kell is able to open a portal that leads to sanctuary, the place in which he learned how to hone his magic. His tutor still resides here and has given Kell a room, whenever he has use of it.

In all the attempts to keep Rhy with them, he somehow slipped away. The healing magic wasn’t working. And his heart just stopped beating. :( They lost him and that’s something Kell refuses to accept. And something I refuse to accept as well!

At first, Lila refuses to give him the Stone, knowing full well that he is about to use it to bring him back. However, I think it’s the genuine emotion of the scene that has her turn the Stone over to him. She knows he is going to do something that he potentially cannot undo. He is going to stain his own soul by using this bad magic to get Rhy back.

And, I mean, of course, RHY CAN’T DIE! I haven’t filled my adorable Rhy scenes quota yet so he simply has to come back to life here. But, still, the magnitude of what has been done. Kell attempts to bind his soul with Rhy’s in order to bring him back. The idea is to tether them to each other so if one dies, so does the other. Kell rears back in pain then his heart stops too. Can no one win? SCHWAB, WHY IS NO ONE WINNING? (This scene would be a hundred times worse if they were hooked up to heart monitors.)

Jackie:I know, I was completely like, no Rhy isn’t going to die, especially not on Kell’s watch, I know he will do something to save him!

I was thinking, well I want him to save Rhy, but using this Stone to do so can cause nothing but concern and suspicion as far as the consequence for using it to save Rhy.

I kind of wonder too, since Kell wants to bind him and Rhy together, how does this work if Kell or Rhy was ever possessed again by someone? I mean, wouldn’t there be some type of effect on the other person in this magic bind? Maybe not, but it’s something I wonder about how Schwab designed this magic bind to be like.

And then, after all this, KELL’S HEART BLOODY STOPS.

WHAT

WHAT

WHAT

SCHWAB, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR BABIES?!

Jeanna: Yeah, how do these bonds work exactly? Will Kell be able to tell if Rhy is possessed? If Rhy is no longer in control of his body, then will compelling him also compel Kell as well? More questions for Schwab that she probably won’t answer.

I was thinking the worst about this whole situation. Kell was thinking of only one thing here which was to get his friend back. Using any means necessary, even using the Stone to get it. I was thinking something along the lines of the Monkey’s Paw, where the guy brings back his friend but he’s practically a zombie who is absolutely in no way connected to the friend he knew. Thank goodness, we didn’t get that here. I mean, this book does not need any more zombies. But why’d she have to go and make Kell’s heart stop. My heart stopped just reading this!

Jackie: Yeah, Schwab will probably not answer those questions anytime soon...ah well, I guess all I have is my running imagination…

Yeah, I was thinking about the same thing, like we still aren’t sure if Kell is even going to survive this at this point, and even if Kell does, what type of shape will Rhy be in when he recovers from all of this? Will it be a quality of life worth living? Or would Kell have been better off letting him to die?

Especially since if these two make it out of this, they are literally bonded for life. Do they really want to stick together for life in this way? I mean Rhy didn’t even get a say in the manner since Kell just made it happen. I would have hoped that Rhy would have wanted to live but being bonded to Kell...I’m not so sure. I only say that because thinking about all the types of scuffles and mischief that Kell is drawn and dragged into, I don’t know if it’s worth suffering physical consequences when you don’t even have a part in what they are choosing to get involved with.

AND, what if one of them accidentally dies? Like whoops, I died and so did my soul-bonded bestie.

Jeanna: Since Rhy knows magic, I would think he would be pissed when he finds out what Kell has done. Even if he wanted to live, Rhy would most likely not want to live at the price Kell has paid. Rhy is still upset to see Kell bleed, ever since he was kidnapped and Kell had to save him so think of that but times 100. Rhy will forever be in his debt. And as much as they’re friends and will probably be forever, that’s a lot of debt to put on someone’s shoulders. Rhy’s going to feel awful, grateful but also terrible that Kell has saved him yet again.

And yeah, how smart was this in the long run, Kell? He is about to embark on a journey to Black London. And his plan is to go alone. But, now with another person’s life on the line, will he be as reckless with his own life? He is already planning on going into the unknown and never returning. Well, what if Black London isn’t paradise? What if he dies? He kills the Prince now too.

Part 12: Chapter 2

It turns out that their hearts stopping was just the eye of the storm, my friends. Let’s all collectively take a sigh of relief. Kell and Rhy both take a breath and while Rhy is alive, he remains unconscious. It worked which is good but also a bad thing. Now, both Kell and Rhy are sporting some awesome soul seal tattoos. Lila knows this can’t be good. And to top it off, Kell can’t let go of the Stone. It’s almost super-glued to his hand and I bet, there’s a part of him that doesn’t want to let go of it either. While Lila is voicing her concern, Kell’s tutor walks in. Did he even knock? The tutor, Master Tieren, reminds me of Merlin, a wise figure that knows a lot more than even the most powerful of characters. Kell is able to quickly get him up to speed on what’s happening and, surprisingly, he doesn’t ask too many questions.

Promising that Rhy will be safe in The London Sanctuary, he takes Lila and Kell to the tunnels which will lead them to town so they can continue on their way. Kell, FINALLY, tells Lila of his plan to leave her in Red London and for him to continue on without her. I’m so happy he told her instead of just abandoning her without exclamation. She thinks, at first, he is excluding her because she’s a woman but instead, he’s leaving her because she’s human. However, Tieren speaks up here and says that she has magic within her. Unawakened magic but magic all the same.

This is where it gets real interesting!!!!!!!! As they near the outside, Tieren pulls Lila aside to ask about her missing eye. This is news to us. I don’t think she’s mentioned having a fake eye until now but… DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, JACKIE? I caught on immediately to what Tieren is getting at here, at least I think it’s what he’s thinking; it’s just a theory, but with the two reveals of this chapter, Lila has magic inside her and she’s missing an eye: she’s a lost Antari. AND, WOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES! Her story arc just got 10 times more exciting! I can’t even, right now, at the possibility!

She has the charisma, adventure-seeking, and beautiful but corrupted soul for an Antari.

Maybe this is why she is able to wield magical weapons so well?!

Jeanna, this would honestly be so cool.

THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF POSSIBILITIES FOR HER NOW.

I wonder if Kell had any inkling about that and he saw that she had a missing eye and chose to keep her around to see if she could wield magic at all…

Seriously, we better hear a bit more about this from Kell or Tieren as the story continues because honestly, Lila being a lost Antari would be stupendous. Especially for the people who have wronged her in their use of magic against her, like Astrid striking her with lightning, or Holland beating her up.

She would have a field day.

Oh wait.

So something else that I think is funny as well. If she only has one real eye, she is really like a pirate, but with a fake eye!

Wow Lila, and wow Schwab, cool potential character and story arc development.

I’m so intrigued to see if you are correct, Jeanna, because that would be so awesome, and I’m assuming that Kell and maybe Tieren would be the ones to help her hone her magical abilities after all this nonsense with Kell is done.

But wait, if she is able to find out that she is Antari, then she can go with Kell and be able to return from any of the London’s as long as she is able to create her own portal.

Oh, and another point! I mean I know the Stone is powerful and everything, but maybe when Kell was using the portal to get from Grey London to Red London, what if he was really using more of Lila’s unknown (unknown to her anyway) Antari magic to help get them both through the portal, more than the Stone was helping them? I mean we have been led to believe that the Stone is this all-powerful thing, but what if it seeks Antari to help strengthen its own power because of the strength that the Antari possess.

Wow, I am just amazed right now.

Now the real question though.

What’s a pirate Antari to dress as?

A cloak with an infinite number of pockets?

A pirate with some wicked accessories?

The possibilities are endless.

Jeanna: Schwab must give her a cool accessory!

This would explain a lot though. Lila has always been drawn to the fixed point: the Stone’s Throw Tavern. She was even drawn to that pocket watch, which we still don’t know the full significance. This could also explain why she takes so much in stride. Essentially, she’s from a place without magic and here she is on an adventure in a magical land and she just accepts all this magic even without understanding it. She goes with the flow which is something a pirate would do. But, also, subconsciously, magic was something she was born with so these sights could be natural to her.

And having magic on her end would also make it easier to defeat the White London twin rulers. The possibilities are endless!

I don’t think Kell has noticed her eye. They haven’t gotten many one-on-one scenes together. When they first met, it was in a dark alley. The only real alone time and close-enough-to-see-your-face time they’ve gotten is when they kissed and I think they were both worried about the outcome of letting a human travel to another London to even notice a fake eye. And some fake eyes look super realistic. I wonder if Barron knew about her eye, if they were that close that she had shared the information with him.

And Kell himself knows very little about Antaris and why there aren’t more of them. However, if my theory is correct, think of how gory the Antari past history must be. People were so frightened of the power the Antari wielded that they tore out their children’s magical eyes to prevent the magic from passing along.

Jackie: Yeah, it would explain a lot about Lila and her ability to accept all of these unnatural circumstances so easily as well as be drawn to the fixed points.

Yes, I’m in agreement with you on how these magical sights may feel natural to her since if she is Antari, she would be used to these feelings, and sights in her Antari way.

If this is true though, what type of significance on the magic does cutting out an Antari’s eye have? I mean, that’s where the lore says that their magic is held, and that’s why their one eye is black, but Lila does not have this to hold her magic, so where does it go? Does it just become part of her aura? Like part of her being in another way?

I wonder if Barron knew about the eye as well, as we were so rudely cut off from him as Schwab killed him off….no, I still have a grudge against her for that one...I wonder if Lila has any idea about her potential magical self. Wouldn’t there be some feeling inside telling you that you have something that is more than the typical person? But I guess again, maybe not, since she did grow up in Grey London where magic isn’t a big thing at all.

I wonder, if Lila’s eye was cut out, if when she was younger, that maybe Tieren brought Lila to Grey London to conceal her aptitude for magic, but still allow her to have her adventurous side fulfilled by being a pirate, or by filling her mind with the wonders of a pirate’s life.

Maybe.

I think it’s also interesting if Kell hasn’t noticed her eye since they have spent a while together now. I mean granted, like you said, there has not been many one-on-one scenes with them yet, but still, to spend so much time with someone and to have them not notice something like that...I don’t know how I’d feel if I were Lila. I mean, I guess since Tieren is the first one to have brought it up in the book, that maybe it isn’t something she likes to share too much.

I hope Tieren and Kell can help Lila awaken the magic in her, and hopefully she is a lost Antari because that would be so cool.

Jeanna: Maybe an Antari’s eye is a bit like the Stone. The Stone is an entity of power. It is neither good nor bad but how the people use it that makes it so. The eye may be a holding ground of an Antari’s power but once it’s gone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Antari is without power, it just means that the power is somewhere else. As Tieren points out, Lila’s power is not awakened yet so wherever her power stems from, it still remains dormant. However, if Tieren was able to figure this out just by looking at her, this could mean that others could also figure it out and possibly use her unused power against her.

I’m still upset about Barron. There was no reason he had to die. And what’s going on in Gray London now? They better have found his body by now. And, hopefully, they’ve found the zombie infestation too. Schwab better not kill the whole of Gray London off while we’re away.

As far as Lila possibly knowing that she has magic, I don’t know. She believes that she’s been born for bigger and greater things. Her want for a better life and adventure proves that. She’s always felt like she doesn’t quite fit in with Gray London. So, I don’t know if she’s believed she has magic this whole time since Gray London doesn’t seem to know much about magic so Lila probably didn’t know much to begin with. However, maybe there is a part of her that wonders why she’s always strived for greatness - that feeling could have stemmed with the fact that she is magical.

Part 12: Chapter 3

Meanwhile, back at the palace, chaos is still underway. Just like the Stone, the pendant is passed from person to person. It’s last seen on a guard and then is simply lost in the crowd. The King and Queen are still under compulsion which makes everyone else freak out more. They still have creepy calm faces on while everyone is screaming about the death in the courtyard. The King starts screaming bloody murder and Kell’s to blame. Of course, he is. Astrid has truly thought of everything.

The Stone is loving this. Gen, the guard we had left in the middle of the festival, is now the Stone’s vessel and what a great vessel he’s turning out to be since as a guard, he can almost go anywhere. Gen starts looking for the source of Astrid’s power.

Now, back to Lila and Kell. They make their way out of the tunnels and are on the search of a good access point to go to White London. Lila has made up her mind to go with Kell. And not just for the adventure. She knows what’s at stake here now and this time, she decides to go to help Kell because, believe it or not, she has found an ally in him, maybe even a friend, and she wants to protect him. And I can’t help but blush! Let’s have this ship sail into the sunset, it’s too cute not to happen.

Kell makes a door with his blood and the white rook. They both step through. And something isn’t right. Kell is pulled back. Lila is nowhere to be seen and looking down at him, there’s Holland. Ugh. I completely forgot that Holland was still in town. But he’s here. And Lila’s not. And I’m sure Kell is about to test out that soul seal because there is no way he’s turning away from Holland unscathed.

Jackie: I’m just picturing the King and Queen’s calm faces as everyone is freaking out, and it just looks terrifying. No wonder the citizens are freaking out even more. I agree that Astrid is one smart cookie, but I’m wondering where this plan may have a fault in it, since it seems like even in the best books and movies, there is one major fault or a big part of a plan that the villain did not have in place, and it makes the whole thing unravel. I guess we will find out soon.

I was glad to hear that Lila wants to ultimately go with Kell, even if she has no way to escape in the end (maybe, anyway), because she just genuinely wants to be able to help Kell out. I love this friendship that has manifested between these two characters, and the give and take factor that they both know is present in each of the decisions they make about the other character, but they do it for the other’s own good, and not really their own. They are just an interesting pair, and I totally hope they become a serious couple at some point, this ship needs to sail with its pirate captain and magic-wielding Antari behind the wheel!

Yeah, I was totally like wow, they are about to finally return this Stone back, or at least get closer to doing so, when Holland steps back into the picture to ruin the day, and potentially end Lila’s life since she is off in who knows where since now Holland is holding Kell in Red London.

Can these two ever just catch a break?

Jeanna: I bet the fault in the plan will definitely have something to do with Gen and the Stone. What if the Stone were to take over the person that Astrid is currently compelling via necklace? Would Astrid get stuck in that body since the Stone would be in control?

I love how even in the face of danger, Kell still asks how Lila got that Red London coat. I know that happened in the previous chapter but what you said about their give and take just made me want to bring it up. It may have been concern or jest in that scene but it’s a good representation of what their relationship has become. And as much as Kell argued with Lila to stay in Red London, he ultimately let her make her own decision.

Where has Holland been all this time? The last we saw him was when he made it rain ash and he knew they were around and he just left. Has he been following them this whole time? Has Astrid gotten word to him about what she did to the Prince? Can Antaris sniff each other out? This goes back to how Holland tracked them in Gray London in the first place, with the scent of power. However, since we also just found out that Lila has magic, can she also be tracked by her magic scent? And does Holland recognize it? I thought it strange that he knew she was in Red London with Kell when he revealed himself as being the one to burn down the Inn. Does he know what Tieren suspects or am I just being paranoid now?

Jackie: Yeah, I see how the Stone will or could play into the failure of this plan. I think it would be fitting for Astrid to become controlled by the Stone, but that is probably not a good thing in the end…

Yeah, I just enjoy Kell and Lila’s give and take even in the middle of the craziest moments. They can banter or ask the most outlandish things in the times of the most chaos. I can definitely appreciate that since that’s how I feel like I operate with my personality, but I don’t have nearly as much death and peril going on as these two characters do in their lives

I know, where has Holland been? I think he may have been following them or keeping an eye on them since he pulls Kell out from the portal just as Kell is about to go into White London.

Coincidence?

Anyway, he must have had some way of tracking them both. Like you mentioned, I believe that the scents that magic leaves may have led Holland to the both of them. Lila, and other characters have mentioned that Kell smells of flowers, so maybe Holland was following this as he was looking for the both of them.

I’m wondering as well, does Holland have any idea about Lila and her lurking magical abilities? It was interesting that he knew Lila was in Red London with Kell, so maybe he has an idea about this. Or maybe, Lila has a unique scent that Holland is able to pick up.

I wonder what her magical scent would be since Holland is more blood and industrial, while Kell’s is more flowery. It must have something to do with the scent of something piratey. I would hope so.

I’m hoping that maybe Astrid was not able to reach Holland and tell him what was going on with the Prince and the events with Lila from then on. But, since they are soul bonded, I’m guessing he’d have some awareness of what Astrid has been doing or what she may or may not suspect about Lila.

I just hope that Astrid wouldn’t want to use Lila for their own needs...let’s hope no one really knows besides Tieren.

Jeanna: Are you saying that Lila smells like fish? Or, I guess, piratey scents would be the open seas, fresh air, mingled with fish.

Holland probably waited until the worst possible moment to reappear. He just, potentially, sent Lila off to her death - off to a place she has no clue about and that is known to be dangerous.

Part 12: Chapter 4

Lila made it to White London. And Kell isn’t there. It’s not a surprise though since this very thing happened when they traveled to Red London and they were separated. BUT WE KNOW THE TRUTH. And he’s not just in some part of White London, using a tracking spell to come find her. He’s held up by Holland. Schwab is at it again. I basically screamed this whole chapter.

Lila underestimated Kell’s interpretation of White London because how bad and dangerous could a place be for a Prince. Oh, but, we know how bad White London is. And Lila is just starting to get a taste of it. It doesn’t take long for people to sniff out an outsider. The people of White London do not speak either, or so it seems. They start sneering at her, menacingly. She pulls her knife so they pull their weapons out too. Lila thinks better of it and brings out her gun. Did you know she had a gun? She shoots the next man that moves closer. And now she’s really surrounded.

Jackie: I know, I was dying for Lila once I saw that she had no idea that Holland had stopped Kell from coming to White London. Like, WHAT?! How is our pirate supposed to survive especially when she has totally underestimated how awful, cruel, and outright violent that the citizens and rulers of White London are. I hope that Lila can find some way to bide her time until Kell is able to meet her there and help her to get to Black London. Otherwise, she may be doomed before Schwab can confirm whether or not Lila is a lost Antari.

I was so frightened for Lila as well when the citizens start approaching Lila and are getting ready to jump her pretty much. Like what is she supposed to do?

Like you said as well, these people don’t even seem to use a language or words, they just sound like animals it seems with groans, grunts, growls, and other such menacing sounds. I would be scared for my life if I was ever in a situation like Lila was in this chapter.

I forgot that she had her gun since the last time she used it was to try and shoot Holland, who she had missed, but swore to hit the next time she needed to use it against him. I’m glad that she has some kind of defense for now, but I hope Kell can come soon to help her out.

Jeanna: I’m sure Lila is going to live through being in White London alone. However, Schwab may doom her just in case. You never know.

Those bullets will run out eventually and then what will she do? The layout of the city may be similar to all other Londons but if everyone is coming out of their homes to jump the new kid, where can she really go? I bet they’re going to get her and take her to Athos and then it’s really going to get ugly. Though, on the plus side it would be pretty obvious where she had gone, Kell wouldn’t even have to use a tracking spell to find her. He would just go to the palace. And, hopefully, this time, he avoids the wine.

Am I the only one to think how cleanly that kill was? Lila didn’t bat an eyelash. I know what you’re going to say. It’s the pirate way. Yet, I much prefer Kell’s way of thinking in that killing is supposed to be difficult, whereas Lila thinks it quick and easy to get over.

And here Kell is stuck back in Red London with Holland. How will he get free?

Jackie: Yeah, Schwab may doom her, we will have to see what she decides to do.

I’m also thinking that Athos may drug Lila, and that would be terrible, because who knows what will happen to her at that point? Along with that, if she is a lost Antari, what if they discover that about her and force Lila to use her newfound powers against Kell? Would Kell be able destroy her like that? I don’t think so.

I hope Kell avoids the wine too since, hey, look where that got him.

I think Lila’s killing also has to do with that fact that she kills to survive, and Kell kills to protect. I think that that is a significant difference between the two characters and shows why Lila can get past a kill so much more quickly than Kell can. She thinks of it as, if I don’t kill first, then I’m dead. Kell, on the other hand thinks, well I don’t want to kill, but I have to because my loved ones will be in danger if this persons or person is still around.

Overall, I just think their mindsets are different based on the environments they grew up in. Kell was protected, and then as he grew, lived to protect. Lila had no one to protect her, so she learned killing as a survival instinct more than anything else, in my opinion anyway.

I also have no idea how Kell is getting over to White London since he is there will Holland now. Like, I’m assuming the Stone will help him to get out of this, but is it worth the consequence of the Stone digging further into his body, taking over more of him?

Jeanna: When or if he’s even able to get rid of Holland, how will he actually make it to White London now! Lila has the white rook! Unless Kell is able to find something from White London, he won’t be able to make the trip there. Unless that something just happens to be Holland’s dead body, that would do just fine.

I like your differentiation between Kell and Lila’s views on killing. It’s interesting to think about that way but I agree completely.

And if Athos were able to get a hold of Lila, he perhaps will wake the magic inside her through torture, perhaps. In doing so, it would unleash an uncontrollable power that Lila would not know the first thing about how to wield it. It sure would be interesting. If only, Schwab gave us more answers and less cliffhangers!

Jackie:I mean Kell has the Stone, which he has used before to make portals from London to London, so maybe that would still apply?

Yeah, I’m hoping Athos doesn’t awaken Lila’s magic in that manner. God that would be awful for her, and for any reader since I think most of us enjoy Lila’s character.

Oh Schwab, the Cliffhanger Queen.

This concludes this week's chapters of the discussion. What did you think?

Since Kell used the Stone to bring Rhy back, is there now part of the Stone in Rhy?

If no London is truly without magic, then why has no one in Gray London shown a strong affinity for it before?

Since the Stone is now part of Kell, how do you think it can utilize Kell’s powers to follow through with its plan of domination over the London’s?

Share This Story

You Might Also Like

0
comments

I'm Jeanna!

I love books, coffee, cute planners, blogging, and everything in between. I don't want you to miss out on the fantastic books out there, which is why I talk about books and write reviews. My reviews may include lame jokes and a side of sass, that make you feel like you are sitting down with an good, old friend for coffee. So grab a seat and let's get chatting.